Paper Title
Feasibility of using String-type Strain Gages to Predict the Deterioration of Building Facade Ornamental Materials

Abstract
A high percentage of building facades in Taiwan uses tiles for ornamentation. In recent years, accidents involving aging and deteriorating building facade tiles becoming detached from buildings or falling off and hurting people have occurred frequently. In addition to material factors, a main cause of the accidents is poor management because of the lack of efficient and low-cost tile diagnostic techniques. To reduce costs, this study employed interdisciplinary studies and integrated professions in the realm of automatic control, utilizing nichrome wire and micro-resistance judgment principles to design an innovative string-type strain gages specifically for testing building facades. Furthermore, acrylic models and concrete specimens were used to conduct feasibility studies on the string-type strain gages invented in this study. The changes in voltage caused by the gauges of various lengths and tension were compared with the simulation data from a compression test on concrete facade specimens; in addition, the relationships between tile detachment and voltage were analysed. By comparing the displacement of the decoration materials with the voltages measured from the string-type strain gages, the reliability of this application was confirmed. Index Terms - Micro-Resistance, Public safety, Smart skin, String-type strain gages